Posture & Head Down?; #1 Most Popular Golf Teacher on You Tube Shawn Clement

[arianbatty]

Most folk when saying keep your head down means on the follow through over here in England not on the backswing just to put a point forward .

[aidenmcneill01]

thanks you really helped me . when i was a bit younger i would take my back swing and on the down swing i would jerk my body up which was leading me to topping the ball but know i get your point its not your face you should keep still its your eyes you should move lol thanks alot

[danason2050]

Lightbulb!

[aaadddaaammm777]

Your a great teacher. I always keep the bottom of the club flat on the ground, ill have to try the toe slightly up.

[tganley1]

I just realized that I get into proper position but then flop my head down like a sack of flour, causing all the problems you mention in the video.

Anyway, my question is, do you tilt your chin down at all? If you took a golf club and put the top of the grip under you chin (standing up) and held the shaft against your chest, when you push your hips back and adress the ball, is the club still in the same postition, ie, does your chin push the shaft down at all?

Hope that makes sense.

[markpkelly1]

top notch instructions, thank you

[savepoint11]

wooooooow. I have been telling people to keep there head down because when I was learning that's what people told me. But what I really meant was keep the body down. I am sending this video to everyone I have given that tip to this season lol.

[bijijiiq]

LOL I give the keep the head down to my brother but as said when i say that I mean keep your eyes on the ball. So maybe I will tell him that next time.

[Samoanfox5000]

well i see wat ur sayin but keep ur head down shud b known as keep ur eyes down which translates to watch the ball.

[clemshaw]

Keep you eyes on the ball yes; but focus on where you want the ball to go with the feel of the swing you need to get it there; see "Golf Pro Lesson eye ball" and "golf pro lesson how to repeat your practice swing" Thanks for the comment! Shawn

[FairwayJack]

Any thoughts on the Sorenstam style swing ?? I am trying to groove this swing. Not ready to take it to the course but hitting some beauties at the range.

[clemshaw]

Hey Fairway Jack!

Absolutely fine! The important thing is to make sure that the head swivels in the same axis through the whole swing;

Use it with confidence! Shawn

[MicrowavedHamster]

Love the video! But aren't your hands a bit too close to your body?

[clemshaw]

Hey Microwavedhamster! See the "golf pro lesson distance to ball part 1 and 2" you are getting ready to swing through the ball to a target and not getting ready to "hit the ball"; big difference between the 2! Thanks for the comment! Shawn

[bob3800]

Thanks for club position advice!!

I am not surprized that a few people commented about what they understand to be head down. I told a friend about this vid and he was shocked that "keeping your head down was bad advice". Some people just don't get it and don't want to.

These are excellent instructional videos and to think we can get this for free is amazing.

Thanks Shawn!!

[clemshaw]

You are welcome Bob! You all deserve it! I will continue to do my best to help out and do my share for this awesome game!

All the best! Shawn

[wtdeuce]

shawn looks like a golfing priest in this one. lol but that's ok because he's the best golf teacher i've come across.

[HunterDT]

Wow, I, too, want to comment on the information provided at 6:00. I took a good look at my posture and I was standing very upright and that was a result of me trying to keep the sole flat. I changed my stance to lean over the ball more and let the hands hang. Sure enough, the sole was not flat. I swung anyways and I felt like I had much more "room" to swing. Can't want to take this new setup out to the course. Thanks.

[happypubes]

keeping your head down doesnt literally mean keep your head down you do know that right.....

[clemshaw]

Tell that to the hundreds of students I see here trying that every time they go out! I don't do these videos for nothing you know! When you give 80 lessons per week for a living, you let me know! :) Shawn

[cass2112]

thanks Shawn,much appreciated advice,i will def put this in to practice.

[tenaciousbee]

Thanks for the suggestion at 6:00 about keeping the sole of the club flat to the ground. I have been trying to keep my club flat recently. I forgot that note I used to know. I needed that reminder.

[clemshaw]

Thanks for the comment!! I had to remind one of my students today who had the same issue and was wondering why he was hitting his shots thin; as soon as he ignored the sole of his clubs and got more over the ground with his chest and lowered his hands he started nailing it again; very important topic! Shawn

[cmsima]

Shawn - unlike any of your other videos, this one won't load.  At first I thought it was my PC, but I can view all your other videos as well as other YouTube videos.

[clemshaw]

No problems on this end; sometimes when they do maintenance, certain things bug out...try again later as it is playing for me right now...Thanks for the head's up, Shawn

[hfaceyjr]

Shawn,

I gotta say, these videos have been a great help,I'm still a newbie and your site is a great reference pouint, I been wondering why I was topping the ball kept starting with club flat, now using heel WHAT A DIFFERENCE....THANKS Keep up the great work

[davidstevan]

Shawn, your videos are great.

I shank a lot. Today my playing partner said he was shocked to see me lifting my head up on every shot almost as if I was deliberately trying to skull the ball (hit it thin). Thinking about this I think that as I pull the club down my posture (and head)rises up causing my hips to go towards the ball which in turn moves the clubhead away from the body/ causing a thinned shank. Does this make sense?

[clemshaw]

Hey David;

Thanks for the question and comment!

Could be; the question is what should you focus on to get the right feel? The focus should be on the target and how to get the club through the ball towards the target. To oppose what you said you were doing, watch the "Hogan power move" and "Hogan Power Drill" videos and combine this with the "Through the ball" and "Catapult Power" videos. Let me know how you do!

Shawn

[davidstevan]

Thanks Shawn.

Did exactly what you advised then went to work at my local golf range. Stuggled at first but eventually struck some good balls - key was to for me to feel I was hitting the ball with my back to target (which caused some pushed shots) but trying to fixate on the target rather than the ball improved direction. My latest conclusion is that my shank manifests when my right shoulder gets involved and my shoulder line points to the left of target at impact.

[clemshaw]

Good observation! Keep working on the feel of the catapult effect towards a specific target; when hitting a draw, feel you are sending the energy to the right of that target and for the fade, send the momentum to the left of the target...match the feel of the swing to the target; if you can't get the right feel it is because you have the wrong option...Shawn

[raiderhank]

I dont know about you but when I hear keep your head down. It doesnt mean, literally like Shawn takes it. When people say its because people are not keeping their eye on the ball. They are looking down range before they should, so when the head moves the shoulders follow and come across when they should reamin square on impact and then they slice and wonder why... Shawn what you are explaing is head low, not head down. Big difference. You misunderstood everyone all these years. LOL

[clemshaw]

Hey Raiderhank;

Thanks for the comment;

If you gave over 75 lessons a week for a couple of decades, you would change your tune slightly...:) There is a reason for all the videos you see here from me on You Tube; Shawn

[pyanista18]

Shawn,

Thanks for all your YouTube videos.  Basically, I got addicted to the Tiger Woods 08 game on the Nintendo Wii and it made me want to learn the real thing. Needless to say, I'm a complete newbie. With all your instruction, I can confidently say that I've avoided a ton of errors and, more importantly, injuries. I'm just about to get your new DVD and I'm quite psyched about it. Thanks again for sharing all your knowledge with us.

Ryan

[clemshaw]

Thanks Ryan! Keep it up and let me know how you are doing from time to time!

Shawn

[pyanista18]

Shawn,

Spoke too soon :( I just pulled a muscle. I don't know what it's called... it's the right part of my chest under the armpit. I know I just didn't warm up correctly.

With that said, what's a good warm up before going through 40 balls at a driving range? What I was doing was half-swings for a few minutes. I don't know if there are specific stretch exercises that I should be doing.

[clemshaw]

Any strain that comes in the swing means there is too much resistance somewhere else or you are swinging too fast in the backswing and the transition cannot handle the change of direction and or you are swinging to darn hard...go to my website at shawnclementgolf dot com on the "You Tube Shawn" page where you can see the titles that correspond to your issues; Shawn

[dh4kim]

Hi Shawn. Thank you for your videos.

I have a comment. Although I understand your point, I think the reason why people say to others to keep their heads down is that most of beginners lift and turn their heads before the impact while trying to see where the ball goes. So keep the head down means to keep the head where it is until the impact, IMO, not meaning to keep your chin against your chest. I have this early head turn problem, I wish there's a drill to fix it.

[clemshaw]

Yes, you are right; but I constantly see golfers overdoing this; first it restricts the backswing so you can't swing the club through the ball effortlessly and then it restricts the follow through which puts a lot of strain on the right rotator cuff and the neck and back. The tip is keep the chest forward and the butt out and keep the eyes on the ball; Shawn

[loftboy2000]

thats interesting what you say about the toe should be slightly up. never been told that before.

[itubeutude]

Yeah that's new to me too. Didn't know the club bent like that. I understood it bend forward to the target.

[pecky1234]

it bends flexes straight in the direction of the swing, so it looks like it bends downwards, sorta like a backwards C. thats because of the inside approach to the ball

[812ekoms]

Shawn, thanks again. So many times I've heard "KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN!" I also remember a pro telling me to keep the sole of my club flat. Keeping it flat never felt right to me, so I just didn't do it. Anyway, as I was working on my swing at the driving range today, I wonder why I couldn't make a complete finish. Now I know why--my head is in the way.

[pecky1234]

hey shawn. got a real good drill for ya. place a in your normal ball position, and put anotehr one, about a yard forward of the ball on the target line. then throw a ball at the frward ball

[clemshaw]

Well how about you make a You Tube Video with this tip?

I like it a lot, like a mix of skip the stone and release though the ball! If not, I will and credit you for it if you want!

Shawn

[pecky1234]

hey your the teacher! your the professional. you can use it if you want. just hope it can help people

[pecky1234]

names jordan peck btw!

[clemshaw]

You Got it Jordan; but one day you are going to have to take the baton! :)

[pecky1234]

thats the hope shawn :) might wanna get that new vid out 2day